


built for error

by parker_23



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: BAMF Peter Parker, Gen, Hurt Tony Stark, Parent Tony Stark, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker Whump, Peter Parker is a Little Shit, Peter Parker is a Mess, Precious Peter Parker, Protective Avengers, Protective Peter Parker, Protective Tony Stark, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Has Issues, Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-27
Updated: 2021-02-10
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:35:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 15,305
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27739270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/parker_23/pseuds/parker_23
Summary: Tony Stark really needed a break.Honestly, it was stressful enough trying to keep a certain spider-kid that goes by the name of Peter Parker from not dying.When that kid keeps throwing himself into trouble, it gets exceptionally harder.Throw in the Avengers meeting said kid and Tony trying to keep the teen’s secret identity, a secret, it gets really stressful.But when something bad happens to the kid and secrets are revealed, maybe the team will have to become closer than ever.Was it too much for Tony to ask for coffee?
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes & Peter Parker, Peter Parker & Avengers Team, Peter Parker & Natasha Romanov, Peter Parker & Steve Rogers, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Comments: 45
Kudos: 264





	1. Prologue

“Does he know?”

_Drip_

_Drip_

_Drop_

“No.”

_Drip_

_Drip_

“Good.”

_Drop_

The constant dripping of the leaky faucet was the only constant thing. God if it would’ve just gotten fixed. But, he didn’t mind it. Any other time and he would’ve complained about it. This time, though, he enjoyed having that leaky faucet. A constant reminder that time, indeed, was moving. If it had stopped, well he would’ve assumed time suddenly stopped.

Crazy? Isn’t it? How being deep down in a hell hole makes you assume that time doesn’t exist anymore. He tried thinking of memories. Good or bad. He couldn’t care less at this point. If only He remembered.

He tried opening his eyes again.

_Drop_

He took a deep breath.

_Drip_

“What about the other?”

_Drip_

“The other is aware.”

_Drop_

Who the other was, he did not know. All he knew was the constant dripping of that damn faucet.

_Drip_

The one that reminded him that he was still alive.

Drip

The one that reminded him that he wasn’t safe.

_Drop_

If only he was stronger.

_Drip_

If only he was safe.

_Drip_

If only his mentor was here.

_Drop_

He would’ve laughed at the thought of him.

_Drip_

The one who was always supposed to be there for him.

_Drip_

The one who told him that he could always count on him.

_Drop_

He didn’t know if he could ever hate him, though. No matter what did happen.

“наш план только начинается.”  
(Our plan is just beginning.)

Oh how he wished he knew more of what that lady had taught him. That would be so helpful right now. So helpful. He really wished he took Russian class instead of Spanish right now.

_Drip_

“Вы беспокоитесь о том, что он ее найдет?”  
(Are you worried about him finding him?)

_Drip_

“Нет, потому что я знаю, что он этого не сделает.”  
(No, because I know he won’t.)

“А если он это сделает?”  
(And if he does?)

_Drip_

“тогда к тому времени ее уже не будет.”  
(Then by that time he will be long gone.)

_Drop_

He only wished he knew what they meant. He guessed they probably weren’t talking about puppies, so that took one thing off the list.

_Drip_

He knew it was dangerous.

_Drip_

If only he hadn’t been so stupid.

_Drop_

Why couldn’t he have called for help?

_Drip_

Now he was stuck here.

_Drip_

And no one would come looking.

_Drop_

Because they all thought he was dead.

_Drip_

This was all his fault.

_Drip_

He knew it was.

_Drop_

He didn’t want to die.

_Drip_

He always thought he would go surrounded by family.

_Drip_

Even with closed eyes he knew his family wasn’t near.

_Drop_

Or, he supposed he would see them soon.

_Drip_

He hadn’t seen his real family for at least 10 years.

_Drip_

Were they watching him give up?

_Drop_

Were they watching him fail?

_Drip_

He smiled a bit, for the first time in a while at the thought of seeing her family again.

_Drip_

But then again, he was so young.

_Drop_

He didn’t want to die.

_Drip_

He had so much to live for.

_Drip_

So many people that were counting on him.

_Drop_

He didn’t want to die in this hell.

_Drip_

_Please_ , he thought.

_Drip_

_Please save me._

_Drop._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi so this is my first story, so be kind.  
> A few things:  
> 1\. I CHANGED PETER BACK SO IF YOU WERE HERE EARLIER, IM SORRY BUT IM INDECISIVE  
> 2\. I really don’t know how long this is going to be or if I’ll even finish it, but I will try my best.  
> 3\. The actual chapter 1 will explain a lot more, I just wanted to start with something kind of ominous to get it going.  
> 5\. I used google translate for the Russian, so please mind if there are any mistakes, I just wanted to add that. If it’s better to just take it out, please let me know and I’ll edit it to just be English.  
> Alright that’s all! Have a great day!!  
> Please comment with any questions!!


	2. Something Gained

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony avoided the teens exclamation and just waited for the elevator to get to their floor, “Ah look, we’re here. That’s a shame, you’ll have to tell me later.”
> 
> Peter narrowed his eyes but then quickly realized the Avengers were in front of him. 
> 
> _Oh shit. Um-_
> 
> He tried turning around to go back into the elevator, but Mr. Stark’s hand got in his way.

“Are you even listening?”

“Mhm. I’m listening. Sounds like a great idea.”

The billionaire glanced at his mentee, who was busy working on the red and black spider suit. The teen, who was not at all listening, was wiring back a rip in the side, which occurred when the kid was on patrol fighting some muggers.

That kid was making Tony get a bunch of gray hairs, though the kid claimed it was just old age.

_“You know kid, you’re gonna make me get even more gray hairs.” Tony sighed, looking at the teen in the hospital bed. A place all too familiar for the both of them._  
_“Mr. Stark, I’m pretty sure that’s just because you’re old.” He joked, a mischievous grin finding its way onto his face._  
_Mr. Stark glared at him, “You little shit.”_

Tony sighed, running a hand down his face. “You know, you might need to know this.”

“Alright, alright fine.” Peter set down the tools on top of the open spider-suit, and pulled the safety glasses on top of his head, “What do you need?”

Now that he actually had his attention, Tony was more hesitant, wondering if it was actually a good idea, “I want you to meet the rest of the Avengers.”

“Seriously?! That’s like the coolest thing ever! Oh my gosh! Wait what if they don’t like me? Are they gonna know who I am?” The kid’s mood shifted instantly.

“I can’t believe this is happening! This is the coolest-“ One look at Mr. Stark’s face he realized that maybe this wasn’t the coolest thing.

“I mean, totally not cool. Not awesome.”

Tony sighed, watching as he sat back in his chair, putting his elbows on the desk and waiting patiently for him to say something.

“I think it’s best if we don’t tell them about being spider powered.”

“What? Why?” Peter asked, contorting his face in a look of confusion, “I’m pretty sure they can keep a secret.”

“I know they can, I just think it’s best if we do this slowly. Have them get to know you first.”

“Oh. Alright. So when do I meet them?”

Tony smirked, “How about right know?”

Peter’s jaw dropped and his eyes widened, “Right now?”

“Right now.” Tony stated, standing up and going behind the teen to put a hand on his shoulder.

“But what if they don’t like me? What if I miss this up? What if I do something bad? What if they know who I am? What if-“

Tony cut off the teen’s rambling, “Relax, underoos. It’s the Avengers, you’ll be fine.”

Peter gave a shaky nod, still debating whether or not he could make a run for the window. He decided against it, though that was always a second option.

“You know Mr. Stark, my stomach actually hurts. I think I may be sick. I don’t want to spread it to anyone. I think it’s best if I just go home. Besides-“ Peter tried lying before Mr. Stark cut him off again.

“Nice try, kiddo. You haven’t gotten sick since the bite.” He guided his mentee into the elevator, picking a floor that was just a few floors above the one they were on now.

“Yeah I know- Wait how do you know that?”

Mr. Stark didn’t look at him and gave a small grin, not giving an actual answer.

“You talk with May? Since when?! That’s not fair! For all I know, you two are going to conspire against me!”

Tony avoided the teens exclamation and just waited for the elevator to get to their floor, “Ah look, we’re here. That’s a shame, you’ll have to tell me later.”

Peter narrowed his eyes but then quickly realized the Avengers were in front of him.

_Oh shit. Um-_

He tried turning around to go back into the elevator, but Mr. Stark’s hand got in his way.

Peter glanced at Mr. Stark, waiting for him to say something. He seemed to have got the message because he started talking a moment later.

“Team, this is my intern Peter Parker. Peter Parker, the team.” He quickly introduced them, not taking his arm off Peter’s shoulder.

“Uh, hi.” He said in an anxious tone, staring at all of his childhood heroes before him.

“You take interns? Since when?” Clint inquired.

“Since when I hired him.” Tony joked.

Natasha looked at Peter skeptically, her stare making Peter look directly at her. Peter quickly adverted his gaze, choosing instead to look at Sam Wilson.

Sam looked at him, “Well, he seems alright. Do you play Mario Kart?”

Peter beamed, “Oh yeah. I love Mario Kart.”

“I like this kid.” Sam smirked.

“You meet my exceptionally bright intern and the first thing you ask him is if he plays Mario Kart?” Tony asked bluntly.

“Gotta know the important things.”

Tony sighed, looking at Steve, raising an eyebrow wondering if he would say anything.

“You good Rogers?” Tony questioned.

Steve looked at Peter again before turning to look at Tony, “Yeah, fine. Just feel like he is familiar.”

Peter was quick to answer this time, “I’ve interned here for a while, I go from many floors and you might’ve seen me on one of the lower levels.”

Steve hummed in thought as if he was considering the answer.

Tony exhaled, “Well, I just wanted you-“

Wanda interrupted him, “Peter, where were you raised?”

“Uh, Queens.” He stated, looking at her.

“Oh god. Sounds like that other little shit we met at the airport.” Sam joked.

Wanda nodded before going back to making a bowl of cereal. She glanced back at the teen, her eyes narrowing for a second before looking down at her cereal.

Clint looked at the duo, “So what made you want to work with Stark?”

“Uhm, I’m not really sure. I saw about it at my school, and my aunt said I should sign up because it would be a good opportunity.” Peter replied, looking to the archer.

“What school do you go to?” Steve asked, now looking back at the teen.

“Midtown Tech.” He answered giving a small smile.

“Isn’t that the like really smart people school?” Sam asked, glancing between Steve and Peter.

Peter gulped, “Uh I guess, it’s okay.”

“How old are you Peter?” Natasha spoke up.

“15.” Peter stated simply, messing with the hem of his shirt, trying to find a distraction from all of the Avengers.

“That’s pretty young for an intern.” Clint remarked, now looking at Tony. Now everyone was looking at Tony.

“Mr. Parker is an exceptionally bright student and intern and knows very well what he is doing. I wouldn’t have let him work on all of your stuff if I didn’t trust him.” Tony spoke, looking between the kid and the rest of the team.

Sam was the first to notice the last statement, “Wait, our stuff? You mean he has repaired our suits and stuff?”

“Exactly as I said Wilson.” Tony smirked as he looked at the shocked faces of the team.

Clint looked skeptical, “He’s 15 and has already understands how to do that?”

“Yup.” Tony stated, popping the ‘p’.

“Alright kid. I got a challenge for you. If you fix this arrow which I have no clue what is wrong with, I’ll believe you and you can join us for movie night tomorrow.” Clint tossed the arrow towards the kid, and he caught it easily.

“Barton! Don’t poke his eye out with that thing!” Tony exclaimed, going to take the arrow out of his hands, but Peter shooed him off, going instead to the table where everyone crowded around him.

He examined the arrow for a moment before there was a clicking sound and he handed it back to Clint, “Done.”

Clint stared at it for a moment, before looking back at the teen, “Holy shit.”

“Language.” Sam muttered, holding back a laugh. Steve glared at him, then turned back to Peter.

“How’d you do that so fast?” He asked crossing his arms.

“Simple fix. Just a small piece that was out of place. It was really small, but it explains why it wasn’t working.” He shrugged, looking back at Tony who was giving a proud grin. Peter smiled then turned back to the team.

“I like this kid.” Natasha smirked, looking at the teen.

“Alright kid, you should join us for movie night tomorrow, if you want.” Sam remarked, crossing his arms.

Peter looked back to Tony, who simply shrugged, “Yeah, yeah that would be great! I’ll ask my aunt.”

Tony clapped his hands together, “Well, since that is done, we are going back to the lab. If you still want to interrogate my intern, you can come down there.”

Peter waved to the team and turned around to where Mr. Stark was. He put his arm back around Peter’s shoulder, and took him back in the elevator.

“Mr. Stark! Did you see that? That was so cool! They actually liked me! Woah! I can’t believe it! I get to have movie night with the Avengers! I gotta tell Ned!”

The kid was talking his ear off for the rest of their lab time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Not really liking this chapter, but I hope you do. Feel free to leave comments or kudos, I really appreciate it!  
> I hope you guys like this story because I’m really excited to write this. I figured I’d post the first chapter the same day as the prologue, just so you guys know what’s happening.  
> Anyway, I love you 3000!


	3. It’s you that I lie with

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Hey Karen, got anything for me today?” He greeted to his AI. Karen was great, not just an AI, but she could actually carry a conversation. So it helped a lot during slow patrols.
> 
> “Hello, Peter. There is nothing on my radars.” His AI greeted, making Peter sigh.
> 
> “Well, another day for just swinging around. What’s so bad about that?”

Peter beamed as he entered the Parker apartment. The cozy place grey walls reminding Peter of his childhood. The photos that were specially placed on the walls, reminding him of people he lost, “May! You will not believe what just happened!”

May watched her nephew enter the apartment while she was in the kitchen, trying to make lasagna. “What happened?” May asked, looking at the ecstatic teen who had just sat down on the couch.

Peter raised his arms to give an exaggeration, “I just met the Avengers! Like all of them!”

That was definitely not what May was expecting, she paused for a moment, “I thought you already met all of them?”

“Well yeah, but no. This is different! I like actually met them.”

May smiled, but that smile quickly deflated when she smelled the burning lasagna in the oven.

“Shit!” She gasped, putting on the red gloves to get the now inedible food out of the oven.

Peter started walking towards the smoke detector, trying to fan out the air so it wouldn’t beep.

“Hey uh-,” he coughed, waving his arms around again, “do you want me to get sandwiches from the bodega?”

May fanned out the air in front of her, looking at the pan that had caused this all, “Yeah, that sounds good. Don’t stay out to late.”

“I won’t! I’ll bring the sandwiches right back, then I’ll go on patrol.” Peter yelled back, now walking to his room.

May laughed, examining the recipe to see if she had done something wrong. She wasn’t the best cook, Parker Luck she guessed. Her and Peter didn’t mind too much, it was fun just spending time together.

She would always worry about Peter. It was just in her nature. After his parents died, she was hesitant to take him in. But she couldn’t bear the possibility of him going to some family that wouldn’t love him.

Peter was a bright kid. Sometimes too much for his own good. He figured things out too easily. And even if she didn’t care for Tony Stark that much, she had to admit, the billionaire was good for the kid.

May wasn’t sure how that even happened. It would be the last thing else expected. She remembers Peter watching TV nonstop whenever Iron Man was mentioned. She knew how much Peter idolized the Avengers, even if she didn’t care for them that much, they did do a lot.

She also knew how dangerous it was. Risking their lives everyday to save others. And she loved that her nephew was as selfless as he was, but sometimes it was just to damn much.

It was hard to think that Peter could get a major injury, or worse, at any point. It kept her up some nights. Too many nights. Sleep lost worrying for your spider enhanced teenage nephew. May never expected those words to go in the same sentence.

Peter calling for her took her out of her thoughts as she glanced up and saw him in his Spider-Man suit by his room, “Hey May, they also invited me over for a movie night, you mind if I go?”

“Who am I to stop you? Have fun on patrol. Be back by 11:00, Peter.”

“Awesome! Bye May! Love you!” Peter called as he proceeded to swing out the window and pull his mask on.

May knew that he wasn’t bringing back sandwiches, but she didn’t mind.

She sat down on the couch with a bowl of popcorn, putting on a random channel and eating the bowl of popcorn.

Peter never got tired of the feeling of swinging out in the city. The city he grew up in. It was a view few people got to experience.

The orange sky reflecting on all of the windows in the city made an appealing view.

It really sucked with all these makeshift bad guys, usually with the same stories too. Peter’s personal favorite overused ones were “Revenge on Tony Stark” or “The Avengers do no good, they need to be terminated.”

Last time someone wanted the Avengers extinct Sokovia went in the air. Maybe let’s not do that with Queens.

“Hey Karen, got anything for me today?” He greeted to his AI. Karen was great, not just an AI, but she could actually carry a conversation. So it helped a lot during slow patrols.

“Hello, Peter. There is nothing on my radars.” His AI greeted, making Peter sigh.

“Well, another day for just swinging around. What’s so bad about that?”

He jumped off the current rooftop he was on, not really caring where he went. The lines of webs shot out, hooking onto buildings and leading him to different places.

Being Spider-Man wasn’t always fun though, it was difficult. Having your mentor carry you in the air to a hospital definitely isn’t fun.

He eventually settled on a smaller roof, watching as the sun set over the city.

Peter grinned, “This never gets old.”

A sudden shiver went down his spine, making him stand up suddenly. He glanced around the city until he saw a blast of purple.

“Karen, what is that?” He asked, readjusting his web shooters.

“I’m afraid my-“ His AI suddenly cut out, making him freeze.

Peter scrunched his eyebrows together, “Karen?”

The lights in Queens suddenly cut out, leaving a dark city only occasionally a flash of purple in one spot.

May was in the middle of a movie when suddenly the lights went out. She stood up looking around for anything. Then she saw out the window that no one else lights were on.

And her heart dropped when she saw a flash of purple and webs around it. She took her phone and she called one person she knew would help.

He started swinging closer to the energy source, wondering where it would take him. Peter got close enough to tell it was a man with tech, so at least the guy wasn’t enhanced.

The guy seemed to have noticed him, “Ah, Spider-Man. I was hoping I would run into you here.”

“We gotta wrap this up quick, curfew.” He quipped, going to web the guy and get the weapon away from him.

“That’s a shame, I wanted to talk with you.” He faked offence, firing the weapon at Peter.

He dodged it easily, his spider-sense giving him a warning whenever he was about to fire.

“Maybe I should’ve brought tea-“ he grunted, flipping over the beam of energy again, “we could’ve had a tea party to talk about your evil plans. Maybe some biscuits.”

The guy- Peter had to come up with a name for him- Storm? No. Electricity? That’s weird. Blackout? Since he blacked out the city? Nah. Why couldn’t villains just be obvious with their names? I mean, Peter was obvious enough.

“May, slow down. Just breathe. Tell me again.”

_“Tony, all the power is out in Queens. Peter is out fighting that guy, I don’t know who he is, but it doesn’t look like just a neighbourhood criminal. He looks more advanced and I don’t know-“_

Tony took in a sharp inhale, “Okay, okay. I will get down there as soon as I can. The team will be on standby. And you’re sure it’s Spider-Man?”

_“What the hell Tony? Yes I’m sure! The same self sacrificing idiot you know. In that suit you gave him but it doesn’t look like it would withstand a blast if he doesn’t dodge it.”_

“But he has that sixth sense thing, right?” Tony asked, slowly growing more worried. If the kid was in danger, he wouldn’t hesitate to go over and help him. But with the team right there, he didn’t want the team to find out the kids identity.

 _“For gosh sake Tony go over and save our kid.”_ May practically yelled into the phone, causing Tony to be slightly startled.

She hung up before Tony could correct her about saying “our”.

“Alright team, I have to go help out spider-kid, and his idiot self, because he got himself in more trouble than he should’ve.” Tony announced, turning to the team that were doing various things in the common room area.

Steve looked up from the book he was reading, “Do you need us to help?”

“No, I think I’ll be able to handle it. I’ll call you if I need backup.” Tony answered, not giving away the worry that nagged at him.

“Do you have a name so I can call you something else in my internal monologue or am I gonna have to keep calling you ‘the guy’?” Peter asked, not wanting to waste his time thinking of a name for this guy.

“Poison Dart.” The man- Poison Dart replied.

Peter stared at him, “Huh. Not what I would’ve guessed. Anyway, I’m just gonna call you Dart.”

“Alright, Spider-Man.” Dart fired the energy gun thing at him again.

God, it was getting annoying.

“Where’d a guy like you get tech like this? Let me guess, you stole it?” Peter questioned, firing his web shooters at Dart’s hands to try and get the weapon away from him.

“Oh wow, Spider-Man can think. Yes, indeed I did. From your buddy Stark.”

Peter’s face went pale and he froze, giving Dart enough time to strike him in the ribs.

His hand instinctively clutched to his side as it burned, the smell of burnt fabric and skin stinging his nose. He fell forward, his hand and knee catching him as he coughed.

Dart looked at the teen on the ground who slowly tried to get up, “See you later, Spider-Man.”

And with that, he was gone, the lights in the city flickering back on slowly.

“What the hell?”

Peter couldn’t help the feeling that this was only the beginning. Like, where did this guy come from? And what did he want with Spider-Man in particular? Did Mr. Stark really let that guy get away with those weapons.

A deep part of him wondered if this was going to be worse than it looked. This guy didn’t look like a joke, and with tech like that, he was probably going to make a point. The guy seemed like he wasn’t going away anytime soon.

One thing Peter was sure of was that the pain in his side was definitely not going away. Hopefully school was cancelled. He really did not want to sit through a lecture on stuff he could easily do.

Why couldn’t Dr. Banner teach his classes or something?

Peter realized he would probably have to call Mr. Stark to get help, but he didn’t really want to bother him. And plus, with the team there, it probably wasn’t a good idea to go there.

He really just needed a minute to take a break and think about what just happened. A guy shows up in Queens, on a school night nonetheless, has Mr. Stark’s tech, and wants to talk to Spider-Man? Okay, so he definitely was not working alone. He couldn’t have been. Or, could he? Peter was too tired to try and think about it.

A sharp pain in his side reminded him that he probably needed to contact help or get home, Peter settling with the latter since he definitely did not want to make a bad impression on the Avengers.

He could totally handle himself. Mr. Stark wouldn’t even have to worry. Peter wasn’t obligated to tell him anything. And besides, Karen was off during that time, so no footage to prove anything.

“Hi Peter. I am unaware of what happened. My systems were out for the last 30 minutes. Do I need to be aware of what happened?” His AI greeted, startling Peter out of his thoughts.

“No, no it’s fine Karen.” Peter sighed, still holding his hand over his side.

“You appear to have a second degree burn in your side that has damaged the suit. Would you like me to call for back up?”

“No! No- I mean, no Karen, I’ll be fine.” Peter quickly answered not wanting to disturb anyone. He should probably get home soon anyway, before May started to get worried.

The next words Karen spoke were the exact ones Peter did not want to hear, “Incoming call from Tony Stark.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh oh Peter. *munches popcorn* Well that sucks for you. It only goes downhill from here guys so be prepared.
> 
> I’m telling you right now that when there is fluff, it does not last long.
> 
> Oops.  
> (Also if you were heard earlier, yes I did change Peter back into a male because I wanted to challenge myself)  
> I hope you guys are enjoying this fic so far!!


	4. Parker Luck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Mr. Stark-“ Peter’s frantic voice still tried to get through to Tony.
> 
> “No! Peter, you don’t understand. You have to be more careful. I want you to call me next time you find someone-“
> 
> “Tony!” Peter cried, clutching his side as tightly as he could, trying to stop the pain.

If you were to tell past Tony Stark that in a few years he would become a mentor figure to an enhanced teen from Queens, he would’ve laughed at you.

Tony just wasn’t the type. He didn’t show his feelings easily. He couldn’t trust people easily. And he was far too busy to take care of a kid. It wouldn’t work out.

Plus, he had a bad experience. His father, Howard, was never the best dad. How could Tony trust himself to be a good father when he didn’t grow up with a good example? 

But now, Tony couldn’t imagine life without Peter.

The laughs, the cries, the blood, everything that came with him. 

That being said, the kid tended to get himself into trouble very easily.

And with that, he tended to be in the MedBay with Doctor Banner and Doctor Cho a lot. Banner was the only other Avenger, minus Rhodey, that actually knew the kids identity.

It was terrifying, seeing the kid laying in the MedBay, with cuts and bruises all over. It was just the stuff that came with being a mentor figure to a self sacrificing little shi-

Tony sighed when he got that call from May Parker. Of course the kid decides to go fight a big baddie villain on a school night. Well, school was cancelled tomorrow, probably because of the power outage, but Peter didn’t know that.

There was times Tony just wished Peter could be a normal kid. Just live his life as a kid. Not get thrown into the hero business at such a young age. 

But Tony knew Peter would never quit willingly. Peter wouldn’t if he knew people lives were at stake. That’s what made him such a damn good person.

When the ferry incident happened, Tony told Peter, “I wanted you to be better.” But Tony already knew that Peter was better than he ever would be. 

Everything Peter did was for the benefit of other people. Tony, on the other hand, tried to benefit himself. Peter threw himself into danger in just a onesie. Tony never intentionally threw himself into danger until it came to him. 

Tony’s thoughts got interrupted when his AI started beeping at him, “We are nearing Queens, boss. It appears the power is back on here, would you like me to contact Spider-kid?”

He sighed as he flew over the city in red and gold Iron Man suit, looking for any sign of the kid, “Yeah, that’s fine FRIDAY. Go ahead and call him. If he doesn’t pick up just patch me through.” 

Peter picked up on the second ring, “Heyyyy Mr. Stark.....” 

“You wanna tell me why you didn’t call or do you just want to skip to the part where I give you a lecture?” Tony questioned.

“Look, Mr. Stark. It wasn’t that big of a deal. I had it handled, then he just like, disappeared!” Peter exclaimed.

Tony finally found the kid an landed behind him with a loud thud, making Peter turn around quickly.

Peter gulped, looking at his mentor like he was surprised to see him here, “Oh, hi, Mr. Stark. Or, if you are even here, which I don’t know and I really don’t want to take a chance of saying anything after what happened last time. Honestly like how was I supposed to know you were actually in the suit. I mean I guess I could’ve-“

Tony cut off the teen’s nervous rambling, “Alright kid, so explain.”

“Right, so there was this guy. And I didn’t know his name, he said it was Poison Dart, which I think is a weird name considering he didn’t really use poison. Anyway, so he kept firing this like energy blaster at me. Crazy thing, he said it was your stuff. Like he stole it from you. Sounds familiar right? Like the Vulture guy! So I got distracted and then he just me in the side with his blaster thing. It really hurt. Also Karen was offline so she couldn’t contact you.” Peter finished with a large inhale after talking so much. 

Tony stared at him, “Alright my turn to talk.”

Peter stood up straighter ready for the lecture. 

“What were you thinking? You should’ve called me before you went into the fight. Do you know how worried I was when May called me telling me that her nephew was getting himself in too deep again? You can’t do that. And, on top of that, I had to explain to the rest of the team why I would be the only one going to back up Spider-Man. I really-“

Peter’s side started hurting more when Mr. Stark was talking, he looked down and his eyes widened when he realized, “Mr. Stark-“

Tony’s stern face didn’t give away, “Zip it, Parker, the adult is still talking. You know I assumed you would’ve been more careful after having so many close calls. I don’t want to have to explain to-“

“Mr. Stark-“ Peter’s frantic voice still tried to get through to Tony.

“No! Peter, you don’t understand. You have to be more careful. I want you to call me next time you find someone-“

“Tony!” Peter cried, clutching his side as tightly as he could, trying to stop the pain. 

That shut Tony up, the kid never called him by his actual name, no matter how hard Tony tried to get him to. He finally looked over to Peter’s tear stained and dirty face, then down to where his arms where clutching his side, “What’s wrong?” His voice laced with concern he didn’t even try to hide.

“I think- I think I found out why his name was Poison Dart.” Peter trembled, revealing a dart that looked like it would’ve had a liquid in it, but that liquid was now gone, presumably in Peter’s body.

Tony’s face drained with color as he quickly stepped out of the suit, going to look at the wound. 

Peter’s hands shook as he moved them to show Tony. 

“Tony, I think I’m gonna pass- pass out.” Peter mumbled, his eyes rolling to the back of his head as his feet could no longer hold him and Tony quickly caught him.

Tony’s eyes widened as he held Peter, “No- no- Peter? Pete, kid? Damn it!”

He stepped back into the suit, still holding the limp kid in his arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yikes. Anyway, thank you for all the love on this story so far! I’m not the best writer, but I’m just doing this for fun.
> 
> I did this instead of reading my book for English class, oops.
> 
> Also, usually there won’t be daily updates, I have just been really excited to write this and I have had a lot of free time.
> 
> Later chapters may be updated weekly but they may also be longer than what I’m writing right now.
> 
> This chapter was too short for my liking but it’s fine. I really just need to get past these first few chapters so I can get to the good parts.
> 
> No promises though.


	5. You are my sunshine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He looked over to Tony, who was obviously trying to hide the guilt burdened in him.
> 
> “Stop.”
> 
> Tony looked dumbfounded, staring up at Bruce, “Stop what? I’m not doing anything.”
> 
> “You’re blaming yourself.” Bruce simply stated, not looking away from the readings on the computer.

“Tony, he’s gonna be fine. You need to calm down.”

“Right.” Tony slowed down his pacing, only for a moment.

Bruce sighed, knowing Tony wasn’t going to stop worrying. Years ago, Bruce would have thought it was weird for Tony worrying about someone, a kid nonetheless. The billionaire only seemed to worry about himself before. It was strange seeing Tony get so worked up for a kid.

When Bruce first met the kid, he was amazed by Peter’s understanding. Peter never once asked about the Hulk, which was strange in itself, but he actually understood the doctor’s writings. And when Tony told him about Peter’s enhancements, he was ecstatic to test them. He had tested Steve’s before, to get a true understanding of what the serum did. But of course, Steve’s was controlled when they gave him the serum. But Peter’s, his was a whole new territory. No one expected that spider to be modified with a human.

Tony’s shoes tapping on the tile white floors of the advanced medical room was the only sound between the two as Bruce worked on providing a treatment for the poison. It was a strange cocktail of poisons, and it was very strong.

He would never admit to Tony that this poison would’ve most likely killed a normal human.

Tony didn’t need that stress, and neither did Bruce.

“Is he gonna be okay?” Tony asked, looking down at the unconscious teen who was too reckless for his own good. He sat down in the chair next to the bed, pulling it closer to Peter. The steady beeping of the heart monitor reminding Tony he was still alive. The pale grey walls did nothing to comfort him as he worried for Peter’s safety.

Bruce looked up from the computer to look at him, “For the tenth time Tony, he will be fine.”

While his words were supposed to be comforting, he couldn’t stop the feeling that nagged at his chest while he waited for Peter’s eyes to open. “I thought I only asked nine times.” Tony smirked a bit, trying to ease the tension in the room.

He looked over to Tony, who was obviously trying to hide the guilt burdened in him.

“Stop.”

Tony looked dumbfounded, staring up at Bruce, “Stop what? I’m not doing anything.”

“You’re blaming yourself.” Bruce simply stated, not looking away from the readings on the computer.

“I- well,” he seemed at a loss for words. He did blame himself. How could he not? The teen, who he was supposed to protect, was lying unconscious in a hospital bed. The gown wasn’t a good look. His suit lay long forgotten in Tony’s lab, in desperate need of fixing. “I was supposed to protect him, Bruce.”

“Sure you were. But do you not trust him to protect himself?”

Tony thought about that. He did trust Peter, a lot, but sometimes he questioned it. The kid put himself in danger too often. Too many times was Tony yelling at the poor kid telling him that he needed to be more careful. Too many nights were Tony though it might be their last.

“I do trust him, I do. But-”

“You feel like you need to be there for him, don’t you?” Bruce said exactly how he was feeling. Sometimes what he needed to hear wasn’t exactly what he wanted to hear.

Tony looked up at the other scientist who was now examining different vials, “Yeah.”

Bruce said nothing but gave a short nod, writing stuff down on his notepad. The doctor occasionally glanced over at Peter’s unconscious form, narrowing his eyes then writing more stuff down.

Silence filled the air. It wasn’t uncomfortable, just unnatural. If you were ever with Peter in a room, usually he is talking your ear off. The steady beeping of the heart monitor, the quiet ticking of the clock, and every so often a small beep from the computer or writing on a notepad. Tony longed to do something to help Peter, but he knew he couldn’t. He was a mechanic, not a doctor. He built things. He fixed things.

Still, he wanted to help, “Bruce, do you want me to help?” He asked, knowing that Bruce wouldn’t let him no matter how much he asked.

“Tony, we both know you can’t help with this. How about you go fix the kid’s suit so when he wakes up it’ll be better?”

He knew Banner was right, but he was still hesitant when he got up, leaving the MedBay. The empty halls of the MedBay late at night gave an eerie feel, but it wasn’t unusual because not many people that go to the MedBay for treatment would need to come at 2:37 am.

Tony made it to his lab, coffee in hand, though it was almost empty. He sat at his desk, shoving off the other parts. It made a loud noise that would’ve woken up anyone in the near vicinity if it weren’t for the sound proof walls. He dropped Peter’s suit down on the now semi clean desk. It felt strange working on it without Peter. The only time he really worked on it without Peter was when he first made it.

“Hello Boss. Since it is currently 2:41 am, I recommend you get to sleep.” The Irish accent from the ceiling sounded, causing him to sigh.

He looked at the suit in his hands, “Hey, FRI. I don’t think I could sleep if I wanted to.”

“Why is that, Boss?”

“Doesn’t matter.” A thought struck him, making him sit up straighter, “FRIDAY, do me a favor, contact May Parker. Tell her that Peter is in the MedBay right now. Also tell her she can come to see him, but he will probably be spending the weekend here.”

“Of course. Would you like me to do anything else?” His AI asked.

“Alert me if- when Peter wakes up.” Tony answered, grabbing his tools to look at the suit.

He examined it more closely, pulling up interactive holograms to examine the damage. He was spinning it around when he noticed the dart still on the hologram. Tony frowned, scrunching his eyebrows together. He would’ve assumed it fell off on the way to the MedBay. He picked up the suit, feeling around for it. He didn’t really have time to examine it earlier, so it must’ve been more advanced than he thought.

The mechanic pulled it from the suit using tweezers, examining the technology that made it stay on the suit for so long. He determined it had a certain attaching mechanism, the four little legs on the end that made it connect to the suit.

He twisted it around, looking for more clues, when he threw it down.

Tony stood up quickly, shoving the suit and his desk back, quickly backing up. He almost threw up from what he found on it.

On the side, a small label that would’ve passed by as a normal label, it read  _Stark Industries._

“No, no, no, no-” His breathing became fast and shallow.  It couldn’t be- No. No.

“Boss, you appear to be having a panic attack-” FRIDAY alerted him.

He was frustrated, “Yeah, no shit.”

_ It’s your fault Peter is in the MedBay. _

_ You didn’t try hard enough. _

_ You could’ve done more. _

_ He is in danger because of you. _

_ He blames you. _

_ Everyone blames you. _

_ You are no better than what you were before. _

_ You hurt people. _

_ Peter isn’t safe because of you. _

_ You couldn’t protect him. _

_ You never will be able to protect him. _

_ Why did you think you could? _

_ Everyone you love dies. _

_ It’s your fault. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally got around to updating this. Well Tony, you’ve got yourself a bit of a problem there, don’t you?
> 
> We love Bruce trying to get Tony to stop worrying.
> 
> See you hopefully soon!  
> Love you 3000!


	6. If you’re honest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Have you ever had those days that feel like nightmares? And you just keep waiting to wake up, but you never do? But you want to wake up because you can’t bear to stand what’s happening?” Tony finally spoke up, but still couldn’t make eye contact with Natasha.
> 
> She stared at him, “You know I have.”

Tony knew he wasn’t the one that designed the certain product. It was probably one of Obie’s designs that got shut down, and for a good reason too. A very advanced dart that would hook on to anyone and stay on? Seems too dangerous to be released to the public.

His hands shook beyond control as he tried to calm himself down. It wasn’t easy knowing that you’re the reason you’re mentee is currently unconscious in a hospital bed. It was just another reason why Tony Stark couldn’t be trusted. It seemed like a curse, that anyone he became close to got injured and it was his fault.

Pepper falling in the flames.

Rhodey falling from the sky.

Peter getting injured too many times to count.

Tony desperately wished there was someone there to help him, but he also knew he probably wouldn’t be able to handle talking with someone right now.

He was a mechanic. He fixed things. He didn’t fix people.

He slowly came back to reality, hearing a familiar AI, “-123, 124, 125, 126,”. He was glad for his AI counting, it set him back in place.

Tony slowly stood up from where he was, starting to walk back to his work desk, when FRIDAY notified him, “Boss, Peter is awaking.”

He took a deep inhale, “Is Bruce up there?”

“Yes, however-”

“Then that’s fine. I shouldn’t even see him right now.” The mechanic sat back down, staring at the spider-suit. It was the only thing he could do. He shouldn’t see Peter. Peter wouldn’t even want to see him. Tony ran a hand down his face, resting his head in both his hands, trying to ground himself again.

He couldn’t see Peter, so he did the only thing he knew. He worked.

Tony grabbed his tools, and set himself up. He examined more closely where the burns were on the bright red suit, taking note to maybe add something later to make the suit more fire resistant.

He briefly wondered what would’ve happened if Tony had been more careful. If he had just gotten to Queens sooner. If he had made the suit stronger. If he-

Tony tried to shake the thoughts from roaming in his head, but the thought lingered like an annoying buzz in the back of his head. One that reminded him that whoever got close to him would be in danger.

If he busied himself with working, maybe he wouldn’t have time to think about those thoughts that nagged him.

So he did.

He worked until the sun came up. Tony stared at the newly fixed suit. It looked as if nothing had ever happened to it. The seams were almost invisible where the fabric was burnt, and all of the holes were fixed. The dart lay long discarded across the lab, out of reach for curious eyes and skeptical gazes.

“Boss, I do suggest you come out of the lab. The team is worried about you.” If an AI could be worried, it sure seemed like FRIDAY was.

Shit. The team.

He stood up quickly, discarding the tools on top of the open suit, rushing upstairs to see where the team was.

“Tony! There you are, we’ve been worried about you. FRIDAY said you locked yourself in your lab.” Steve’s voice greeted him from the kitchen, where the rest of the team was eating breakfast at the table or sitting in the living room area.

He looked over to Steve while he walked over to the coffee pot, pouring himself a cup, “Oh, uh yeah, rough night.”

Steve looked skeptical, but didn’t say anything else as he went back to reading the newspaper.

“Hey, is Peter coming over tonight? I gotta see if he is good at Mario Kart.” Sam asked, walking in the kitchen with Clint behind him.

Tony almost choked on his coffee when he heard him say that. He had completely forgotten that Peter agreed to come over for movie night tonight. Everyone looked at him, a mix of concern and confusion.

Steve looked at him, setting down the paper, “Stark?”

“Uh, right. I don’t know if he’ll be able to come tonight. He has- uh- a lot of tests to study for.” Tony stammered, wiping off his shirt.

“I’m sure he could take one day off. Plus, we’re all dying to get to know him more.” Clint commented, walking over to his plate of breakfast.

The panic was erupting in Tony once more as he poured another cup of coffee and made his way out, “Nice talk. I’ve gotta get back to the lab, uh, don’t come get me if you need me.”

The team didn’t do anything but watch as he left quickly making his way back downstairs, not turning around to look at them.

An uncomfortable silence filled the air.

“Well, that was awkward.” Natasha was the first to break the silence.

Clint went back to eating his food, “No kidding.”

Steve kept staring at where Tony had just left, almost expecting him to come back, “Was Tony acting weird to any of you?”

“Not weirder than usual. You never know what goes on in that guy’s head.” Sam answered, walking to the fridge to get a glass of orange juice.

Steve muttered what sounded like an agreement, but said nothing else. He noticed Natasha getting up and going down to where Tony just left, and he furrowed his brows in confusion, “Nat, what are you doing?”

Natasha looked at him, “I think there’s more than what he’s telling us.” She went down the stairs, making her way to Tony’s lab.

She put in the code that Tony gave her a while back, the doors making a gust of air when they opened. Tony didn’t look up from the stuff he was working on as she walked in, not getting too close.

“I thought I told you not to bother me.”

Natasha hummed as she leaned against the wall, watching the genius work and move the pieces together, “I didn’t want you to be alone.”

“Here’s a thought, maybe I wanted to be alone.” Tony simply stated, not taking his eyes off the suit as he still worked on adding more protocols.

“You know that’s not true, Stark. You know you can trust us.” The spy remarked, folding her arms.

This time the tools fell from his hands, as he turned around to finally look at her, “Really? Cause I honestly don’t know if I can.”

She was taken only slightly aback by his outburst when he turned in his chair. Tony sighed, putting his head back in his hands.

“What’s really on your mind?” Natasha asked, watching as he turned back around to tinker with whatever he was working on.

This time Tony remained silent, as he worked with the tools, examining the wires within the spider-suit. He didn’t feel like he could say anything without panicking, so he chose rather to stay silent and wait for the spy to leave, but she didn’t.

The air was quiet, neither of them talking. It bothered Tony, and Natasha knew it did. This is how she got him to talk.

“Have you ever had those days that feel like nightmares? And you just keep waiting to wake up, but you never do? But you want to wake up because you can’t bear to stand what’s happening?” Tony finally spoke up, but still couldn’t make eye contact with Natasha.

She stared at him, “You know I have.”

And Tony did know. Those days in the red room, or watching the team fall apart.

“So what’s the nightmare to you?” She asked, walking closer to him.

“Someone got hurt. And it’s my fault.” He answered, staring at the suit in front of him, but not making any moves to fix it.

Natasha narrowed her eyes, “Pepper?”

Tony shook his head, spinning a pencil in his hand.

That confused her. “Then who?” She inquired. That’s when it hit her. Why Tony had gotten so weird when Peter was mentioned. Why he made an excuse as to why Peter couldn’t come tonight.

“Peter.” She breathed.

Tony nodded, only a slight whisper, “Yeah.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love the friendship between Tony and Nat, so I had to incorporate it in some way.
> 
> Sorry this chapter has taken so long, I’ve been pretty busy. 
> 
> Anyway, we got guilty Tony and skeptical Avengers. What could go wrong?


	7. Speak No Evil

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “So, what did you find?” Tony asked impatiently.
> 
> Bruce looked more agitated than before, “Where the hell were you?”
> 
> “I- uh-”
> 
> “The kid was asking for you. I could’ve used you, Tony. I didn’t mean for you to stay in your lab for over 8 hours. It was agony staying in there with the kid. Why didn’t you come see him?”

“How did it happen?” The spy asked, examining the way Tony continued to avoid eye contact. He used to be one that was cocky, making jokes, stubborn, but now he was different. His whole demeanor was different. Natasha assumed Peter was responsible for that.

From what Natasha had observed, Peter was good for Tony. A handful, but good for him. She never assumed Tony would be one to be a mentor figure. Though Natasha had only known Peter for a day, she knew that Peter was helping Tony.

Natasha knew Tony didn’t trust people easily. She also knew that she was part of the reason for that, back when he knew her as Natalie Rushman. But Tony had changed since then. He was less arrogant.

Tony’s voice forced her from her thoughts, “Wrong place at the wrong time.”

She knew Tony didn’t want to elaborate, so Natasha didn’t push.

“Have you visited him since then?”

That seemed to trigger something in him as he drew in a shaky breath. Tools clattered on his desk as he put his hands on his forehead and his elbows on the desk.

“I don’t think I can.” His voice was smaller. It surprised Natasha. He never let himself be seen like this to anyone else. His voice held guilt, loss, sadness, and fear.

“And why’s that? I can tell Peter cares for you and would probably want you there.” She tried to reassure him, but deep down she knew he felt guilty.

He turned around to look at her, his face holding an emotion she couldn’t quite pinpoint, “Nat, it’s my fault. Do you really think he would want to see me?”

She stared at him. For a genius, he was really quite stupid sometimes. Like, incredibly stupid. “Tony, I don’t know what I need to do for you to get your head out of your ass and realize that Peter needs you. I don’t care whose fault it is, but that kid needs someone. And he trusts you, Tony. You need to have more faith in him.”

Tony stared at her, having a hard time processing what she just said, because in his eyes, Peter hated him. He didn’t get a chance to ask, though, as she walked out of the lab, shutting the doors behind her.

“Hey FRIDAY, how is Peter doing?” He asked, not looking towards anything in particular.

“He is awake and doing well. Dr. Banner also asks for your presence.” His AI chirped, her usual Irish accent giving him a familiar feeling.

He sighed, “Great.”

He stood up slowly, almost as if regretting his decision. Tony stared at the suit for only a moment longer, before turning around and heading towards the doors. They opened with ease as he made his way up to the MedBay.

Tony walked through the halls, which once had been empty and chilling, it was now bustling with people and sounds. He walked past people, careful not to disturb anyone or anything.

He walked through the all too familiar room, designated as Peter’s MedBay room. He looked to the bed where Peter was now awake and talking to Dr. Banner, who was trying to perform the tests and only looked slightly annoyed.

“Hey Pete.” He greeted his young mentee, taking his usual seat next to Peter’s bedside, pulling it closer to his bed.

Peter looked at Tony, “Oh, hey Mr. Stark! Doctor Banner said I was doing a lot better and I would be free to go!”

Bruce seemed to have different ideas, “No, that is not what I said at all.”

Peter slumped down a bit at the doctor’s words, his brows furrowed in slight agitation as he mumbled, “It’s basically the same thing.”

“No, Peter, it’s not. I said you could go in a few hours if you promise to take it easy.”

He raised his arm as though acting like Bruce said the same thing, “See? Same thing!”

Tony raised an eyebrow, looking at the young teen.  Too young to be in a situation like this , he thought.

Peter scratched at the IV in his arm.

“Hey, hey! Stop messing with that!” Tony exclaimed, moving his hand gently off it’s place on his arm.

Peter groaned, laying back down in his bed.

Bruce cleared his throat, “Um, Tony, could I talk with you? Privately.”

Tony nodded, giving Peter’s bed a slight pat before standing up and following the doctor to a more private room. Luckily, they had thought this through before, and due to Peter’s enhanced hearing, they made a sound proof next to his room so the adults could talk in private.

The door shut behind them as Bruce walked over with a clipboard in his hands.

“So, what did you find?” Tony asked impatiently.

Bruce looked more agitated than before, “Where the hell were you?”

“I- uh-”

“The kid was asking for you. I could’ve used you, Tony. I didn’t mean for you to stay in your lab for over 8 hours. It was agony staying in there with the kid. Why didn’t you come see him?”

Great, another person blaming Tony. Just what he needed right now.

“I got caught up, Bruce. I’m sorry.” He only partially lied.

Bruce narrowed his eyes, but seemed to accept the answer, “We got lucky this time. The poison wasn’t deep in his system. I was able to get it out quickly after running a few tests on his blood samples. And the burns are already mostly healed, thanks to his advanced healing. That poison is bad news, Tony. It’s stronger than any other type I have encountered.”

Tony took a deep shaky breath in, looking at the other scientist.

“He’s gonna be fine, Tony. Just take it easy for a couple of days.” Bruce seemed to have noticed his distress and quickly tried to reassure him.

He gave a short nod to Bruce, and went quickly back to Peter’s room.

Tony looked at the teen in the bed, “Hey, bud.”

“Hey. Am I in trouble?” Peter asked, sitting up in the bed.

“You bet your ass.-”

“Language.” Bruce muttered, a hint of a laugh in his voice.

Tony looked at him for a moment before turning back to Peter, “-However, that can wait. I’m just glad you’re okay.”

That seemed enough to relieve Peter for the time being as he relaxed a bit.

Peter fell asleep after a while, the only sounds were the kid’s light breathing and the heart monitor still attached to him. Bruce had left a bit ago, saying he didn’t need to be present. It was still only the afternoon, so Tony hoped Peter would be up in time for the movie night. The kid would never forgive Tony if he didn’t wake Peter up for that. He was ecstatic to spend more time with the team.

Tony exited the room after a while, because he knew Bruce would be back in there soon enough. He made his way through the bustling halls once more, choosing to take the stairs to where the team was.

He entered the kitchen, going straight for the coffee pot once more. Instead he found a note that read,

_ Take a break from the coffee, Tony _

_ -Steve _

It was times like these where Tony wanted to punch Steve and his perfect teeth.

Tony sighed, mumbling something under his breath while he poured a cup of water instead. He leaned against the counter, sipping the water from his usual coffee mug, thinking about random stuff.

He heard footsteps which he could easily identify as Steve’s. “Hey Rogers.”

“Glad to see you drinking something other than coffee.” Steve joked, throwing a towel over his shoulder.

Tony grunted, taking another sip of his water while he watched Steve.

“So, Peter’s not joining us tonight?” Steve questioned, grabbing a water bottle from the fridge and quickly chugging most of it.

Tony looked down at his mug, “Not sure. He might. Haven’t asked yet.” Even though Tony knew Peter would want to come, he just wanted to be cautious.

“Shame. He seems like a bright kid.” Steve remarked, setting the bottle down and wiping his face with the towel.

“Brightest I know.” Tony added proudly, not really making eye contact with Rogers.

Steve nodded, sitting down at the kitchen island crossing his arms and staring at Tony.

“What’re you looking at?” Tony asked, maybe a tad too harsh.

“You. When was the last time you got a good night’s sleep? You’re always down in your lab working.” He answered, squinting his eyes.

Tony rolled his eyes, distracting himself from the conversation and instead drinking from his mug. Sure, maybe he wasn’t getting much sleep, but he was at least working. Or worrying. Or both. Depends on the night.

“See you later, Rogers.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My favorite past time is listening to Christmas music while breaking your hearts.
> 
> Anyway, hope you are enjoying this story!!
> 
> I’m really liking how this is going so far, and I can’t wait to get further!
> 
> Thank you guys for all the support on this story!
> 
> Love you 3000!  
> -parker_23  
> (P.S. Thanks for over 100 kudos you guys!!<3)


	8. Handle With Care

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He thought for a moment, before looking up at the ceiling, “Hey FRIDAY?”
> 
> “Hello Peter. I am glad to see you up and well.”
> 
> “Thanks! I was wondering if there was any information on this Poison Dart guy- The one who attacked Queens last night?”
> 
> The AI remained quiet for a moment, “He is not on any of my records. I am unsure of who he is. I apologize, Peter.”

“Hey! Hey- Slow down! Wait- Careful! Hey!”

“Mr. Stark, I think if I go any slower I’m gonna start going backwards.”

Tony supported Peter from behind, helping him walk up the stairs. The kid was itching to get out of the MedBay and Bruce finally gave him the all-clear.

“You have strict orders to be very careful.” Tony reminded him.

Peter groaned, “I am being careful! Do you not call this careful?” And the universe was apparently against him because it was that moment where he slipped only for Tony to help sturdy him again.

“No, I don’t call almost falling down the stairs being careful.”

Peter narrowed his eyes at Tony, and was relieved when they made it up the stairs.

He let out a heavy sigh, looking back at Tony who was still hovering, “Mr. Stark, I’m fine. I can make it to the couch.”

Tony looked hesitant, but let the kid go off on his own.

Rhodey always called him a mother-hen. Tony disagreed. He wasn’t being protective, just careful. Peter always got himself in trouble so Tony often found himself worrying. Like right now.

They decided to go to the private Stark quarters because Tony really didn’t want to deal with the team right now. It was also quieter. And Tony could get his coffee. Finally.

Tony went to the kitchen area, pouring himself a well deserved cup of coffee. Taking care of an enhanced teen was hard work.

Peter flopped down on the couch, maybe not as carefully as Mr. Stark would’ve liked, but he was perfectly fine thank you very much. He fiddled with the remote, changing channels randomly. Baking shows, sports, the news. Nothing much on. He was very bored. Like, incredibly bored. Sure, it was better than being in the MedBay, but still. His limbs ached to go get action, to go see the city from a higher view. If he could just-

“Hey, Peter! You still want to go see a movie with the Avengers tonight?” Mr. Stark called from the kitchen.

Finally, something interesting. He completely forgot about that, “Duh!” He called back, a smile appearing on his face as he still flipped randomly through the TV channels.

He finally just decided to watch a random baking show that was on, not really caring what he put on.

Peter glanced backwards to where Mr. Stark was in the kitchen, cooking something. He couldn’t really tell.

Peter thought back to when he was fighting the guy- wait, what was his name? Ele- No, Dart? Poison Dart! Weird name. Oh wait, yeah the dart. That made more sense. He was saying something about tech. Peter wasn’t paying too much attention to his evil speech. He tried thinking harder, trying to remember what the guy had said;

_ “Where’d a guy like you get tech like this? Let me guess, you stole it?” _

_ “ Oh wow, Spider-Man can think. Yes, indeed I did. From your buddy Stark.” _

He jolted up, causing an aching pain in his side, “Ow! That is definitely not ideal.”

Peter slowly made his way over to the kitchen where Mr. Stark was sitting down at the kitchen island. Mr. Stark turned around and saw him, a blank stare on his face.

“I thought I told you to stay put while I made food.” He stated, setting the bowl of soup in front of Peter.

He looked at the bowl for a minute before looking back at Tony, “Yeah you did but-”

“Ah-ah! First, eat. I can only imagine you are starving with that super-metabolism of yours. I have to go check on the team, tell them you can actually come. I’m sure they will be very pleased.” Tony interrupted, grabbing his mug and went to go walk down the stairs.

Peter groaned, fiddling with the spoon in his soup. He didn’t really have much of an appetite right now.

He thought for a moment, before looking up at the ceiling, “Hey FRIDAY?”

“Hello Peter. I am glad to see you up and well.”

“Thanks! I was wondering if there was any information on this Poison Dart guy- The one who attacked Queens last night?”

The AI remained quiet for a moment, “He is not on any of my records. I am unsure of who he is. I apologize, Peter.”

Peter slumped, “That’s alright. Thanks anyway, FRI.”

Peter thought of the night. He couldn’t remember much of it, only foggy memories. So the guy had Mr. Stark’s tech, definitely not a good sign. And he had a really weird poison? Definitely not good. If only Peter had seen his face, maybe this would be easier.

He looked over to where Mr. Stark had left, secretly hoping he would come back up. It was comforting to have someone you trust in the same room.

Tony entered the main common area, seeing most of them hanging out in the kitchen.

“Oh look, he’s back.” Sam announced, causing everyone to turn their heads towards him.

Natasha looked at him doubtfully, observing the billionaire.

Tony looked at her for a moment before turning his head, “Yeah. I am. Bringing good news, too.” He announced, looking around at them.

“We get to retire?” Clint asked, causing an elbow to his side from Natasha.

“No…” He answered, looking skeptical, “But, Peter is able to join us tonight.”

Natasha raised her eyebrows, looking at the mechanic skeptically. She examined his manners, he seemed slightly more relaxed from when she had last saw him, still looked tired and worried, and wasn’t very good at standing still.

Tony noticed her staring at him so he quickly dodged her gaze, choosing instead to look at Steve. He wasn’t much better though, as he looked concerned.

Steve stared at him, “Maybe we should postpone it, I mean you obviously need sleep and-”

Tony interrupted him quickly, “C’mon Rogers. The kid has been looking forward to this. You wouldn’t want to disappoint him, would you?”

“Right…”

He sipped at his coffee, “Well, that’ll be all. I will see you guys in thirty minutes with the kid.”

Tony avoided any more questions by going back to where Peter was. He wouldn’t admit it, but he really didn’t like leaving the kid alone. He didn’t want anything to happen to him again, even in the security of the Avengers compound.

He walked in to see Peter still sitting at the kitchen island, soup having not been touched. Tony deflated a little, he was hoping Peter might have eaten something.

“Not hungry?” Tony asked, alerting Peter of his presence.

Peter looked up, “No. I can’t find the appetite to eat.”

Tony hummed, examining the kid. He seemed fine to any regular eye, but Tony could see deeper. He knew the kid well enough to know how he behaved and other things that went on in his brain.

“It’s not your fault, you know.” Tony stated, still looking directly at the kid.

He sighed, staring up at Tony, “I feel like I could’ve done more.”

Tony didn’t say anything, but instead just stood there, looking at the kid who didn’t know how much he meant to Tony.

“Well, the team is happy that you’re able to make it.”

Peter smiled. He was excited to actually spend time with the team too. It was a huge accomplishment in his life.

He thought of his past only for a quick moment. Thinking how it was crazy that just a few years ago spending time with the Avengers was just another dream. Where he used to watch them on screen and call to Aunt May and Uncle Ben about how they saved the day.

And when he first came in contact with Tony all those years ago at the Stark Expo.When he had that cheap little Ironman mask and was stupid enough to stand in front of the robot.

He smirked, knowing his hero-complex hadn’t changed since then.

“What are you all smiley about?” Tony questioned, drawing him out of his thoughts.

“Just excited.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow I am so sorry this chapter took so long! I had major writers block for a few days last week and I was not doing well at all. 
> 
> I couldn’t think of anything when I sat down to write so I eventually decided I just needed a few days off of writing.
> 
> Anyway, we’re back with chapter 8! I think things after this may get started to moving a bit faster so stay tuned!
> 
> I’m so glad you guys are enjoying this story so far, it means a lot to me!
> 
> Happy Holidays! 
> 
> Love you 3000!


	9. Enemies of the Spider

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter realized this was way more severe than he initially thought. He didn’t have much time to think as the walls were suddenly secured, causing everyone in the compound to be locked in.
> 
> He sprinted towards Mr. Stark’s lab where his suit lay on his own desk, awaiting to be worn. He quickly put it on, exiting the lab.
> 
> Peter jumped towards the ceiling, so he would have the advantage of a sneak attack if it came to it.

Peter was bored. Extremely bored. Ever since the movie night last week, he had nothing to do. Mr. Stark was still strict (as usual), and wouldn’t let him go out on patrol.

Okay, maybe that was reasonable. But still, it was annoying having someone look over your shoulder every day.

Peter sighed as he looked up at the ceiling. He was at the compound for the weekend, so at least that was more fun.

Except it wasn’t. Practically no one was there. Everyone was apparently at a classified SHIELD meeting or something. Peter didn’t really pay attention when Mr. Stark told him that he and the rest of the Avengers would be at a meeting.

He just wanted something to do.

The teen walked out towards the kitchen and towards the living room area. Maybe a movie or something was on.

He fiddled with the remote, changing channels randomly. He finally found a movie that was actually worth watching and laid back to watch it. That was until all the power went out.

“Seriously?” Peter groaned, leaning his head back. He grumbled under his breath, “The one time I actually found something to do.”

He figured it was kind of windy out, so it wasn’t unusual for the power to go out. He questioned it for a moment because he would’ve guessed Mr. Stark had stronger power cables, but then remembered they had just gotten work done on the cables so they could be unstable.

Or until FRIDAY started blaring an alarm throughout the compound that was very not pleasant to his ears.

Peter realized this was way more severe than he initially thought. He didn’t have much time to think as the walls were suddenly secured, causing everyone in the compound to be locked in.

He sprinted towards Mr. Stark’s lab where his suit lay on his own desk, awaiting to be worn. He quickly put it on, exiting the lab.

Peter jumped towards the ceiling, so he would have the advantage of a sneak attack if it came to it.

The alarm continued to blare along with red flashing lights, alerting people of an intruder.

His first thought was to go to Mr. Stark, see if he needed any help. Maybe get out of the way. But that thought was pushed out of his head almost as quickly as it came in his head.

No, he needed to find the intruder and fight. He wasn’t going to sit around and be useless. He just couldn’t. Not if the person could get into the compound that easily.

His fingertips moved smoothly along the ceiling, being careful not to noise. Peter glanced around for any sign of disruption, but nothing seemed to stand out.

The spider-powered hero slowly dropped down to the ground, his feet landing softly on the smooth tiles.

A loud crash made his head turn quickly behind him.

_Ah great. Dart Man. Wait no- Poison Dart. Oh yeah. Dart._

Peter squeezed his eyes shut almost wishing that the dude would magically disappear.

“Spider-man! I didn’t know I would see you here.” Dart greeted him, his tone very unwelcoming.

He got ready to fight again, “Surprise. I’m here. Now,you wanna take the time to explain what you’re doing?”

Poison Dart seemed to think for a moment, “No, not really.” He thought for a moment more, “Although I will say Stark needs to hide his things better. Honestly, if he doesn’t want people taking things, he should really be more secure.”

And with that, he vanished again, and the power was back on. Peter cursed under his breath.

He tore off his mask, his brown curls falling loose again.

His spider-sense went off, alerting him of someone behind him. He turned around, and came face to face with- the Avengers?

_What the hell were they doing here? I thought they had a meeting._

Then he realized he had just taken his mask off.

He really just blew his secret identity. Well, wasn’t this just great. Parker Luck strikes again. He really wished the spider-bite gave him the ability to turn invisible sometimes.

“Kid, what the hell are you doing?” Mr. Stark’s voice was the first to break the silence.

Peter shuffled on his feet, “Well I was-”

“Actually, you and I will talk later. That will be a long and unpleasant conversation.” Tony snapped.

He didn’t doubt that.

Everyone’s face had a mixture of fear, confusion, and surprise. Except Mr. Stark’s. Peter was not excited for that so-called long and unpleasant conversation later.

Mr. Stark’s face remained unmoving as he looked at Peter, a slight look of disappointment.

“Surprise…!” He hesitantly exclaimed.

Natasha didn’t seem as surprised as she looked at him. She was still slightly surprised, but her face didn’t give it away. Peter figured she would’ve figured it out sooner than everyone else.

Steve didn’t break his gaze away from the teen, “You’re Spider-Man?”

Peter shrugged his shoulders, clutching his mask in his hands.

“But- how?” Wanda inquired, her fingers having little puffs of red slowly dissolving around them.

He looked at her, “Long story, I was bitten by a radioactive spider on a field trip. Then I made a suit-”

“Onesie.” Mr. Stark interrupted.

“Suit.” Peter corrected, “And Mr. Stark found me and gave me an upgrade.”

Tony muttered something under his breath that Peter was probably glad he didn’t hear.

Honestly, Peter was surprised he kept his identity a secret from them as long as he did. Ned thought he was only going to last 3 days.

Peter definitely wasn’t going to get out of there easily. He thought of possible escape routes. He could go to the ceiling, but Mr. Stark would easily be able to follow him. The windows were a no-go because the compound was still on lockdown. He couldn’t run, because Mr. Stark would be able to get to him. He didn’t have many options.

The atmosphere was silent. Peter cleared his throat, wanting to get away from the awkwardness desperately, “Well, I should probably- uh- get going. I know you are all extremely busy so-”

“You aren’t going anywhere.” Peter felt a hand on his shoulder. He internally groaned, but he knew better than to do it out loud.

He just accepted his fate as Mr. Stark said stuff to the Avengers then led him down to the lab.

Peter would rather be where he was 20 minutes ago compared to right now. He would love to be sitting on the couch being bored than about to face the wrath of Mr. Stark.

The wait was agonizing as Mr. Stark sat down slowly on his chair, leaving Peter standing up awkwardly in the center of the lab.

He fiddled with his mask in his hands, trying to find a distraction. He kept his eyes down and his feet planted still as he listened to the deep breaths of his mentor.

Peter couldn’t bear the silence any longer, “Would now be a good time to apologize?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Sorry for the longish wait, I had personal stuff going on!
> 
> I know a few of you were excited for when the Avengers figured out Peter’s identity, so why not post it.
> 
> I’ve had this idea since I started brainstorming this story, so I was really excited to finish writing it.
> 
> Please give feedback, I love reading your comments!
> 
> Love you 3000!


	10. Screwed the Pooch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony took a deep inhale, “Peter. We both know you screwed up. I knew the Avengers would find out at some point, and that’s not what I’m angry about.”
> 
> And Peter knew that. He just hoped that Tony would maybe skip to the part where all was forgiven.

Peter desperately wished time travel existed.

If it did, he would go back to before he put his suit on.

In the moment, it seemed like a good idea to go after the guy. But in hindsight, how could he be so stupid?

Hindsight could be a real bitch sometimes.

Tony hadn’t said anything yet, which Peter didn’t know if he was grateful for or not. Either Tony wasn’t that mad(very unlikely) or he was very pissed and was waiting to make it even more agonizing for Peter. He leaned towards the latter option.

“Well, Peter. We know how this works. Do you want to explain yourself or are you going to bite your tongue?” Tony finally spoke up, the anger almost seeping through into his voice.

Peter now knew better than to speak.

Tony waited for a moment to see if he would say anything, “Good choice.”

He prepared himself for Mr. Stark’s wrath. He would rather put up with Flash right now, and that was saying something.

Tony took a deep inhale, “Peter. We both know you screwed up. I knew the Avengers would find out at some point, and that’s not what I’m angry about.”

And Peter knew that. He just hoped that Tony would maybe skip to the part where all was forgiven.

That was the childish part of Peter. The part that never left when he got bitten.

He didn’t remember much about his parents, but he knew that they were loving ones. And his aunt and uncle, no matter how hard they tried, he knew they would never fill the hole in his heart. And when his uncle died, it was just another whole in his heart.

The childishness in him made him wish his family would stay safe. That they would never get in any danger, and that they would be alive.

That part stung at his heart a bit. Sometimes he thought he was the cause for the fate of his family. But logically, he knew that wasn’t true.

Sometimes it was just hard to push those thoughts away.

He wouldn’t be able to live with himself if Mr. Stark or May or MJ or Ned or anyone else got hurt because of him.

His thoughts didn’t continue for much longer when Tony’s voice came back in.

“-and I can’t do that if you’re just slinging around- Are you even listening?”

Peter turned his head around to face Tony again, “Uh- yeah..”

Tony narrowed his eyes and stayed quiet. He looked at Peter then turned his head slightly, looking towards the door.

Wanda stood, looking between Tony and Peter, unsure if she was actually supposed to be there. She cleared her throat, “You called?”

Peter gulped, he had to admit, he was a little intimidated by her. Not by what she’s done, but by how strong she is. Wanda could easily overpower him anyday, and go into his thoughts and stuff. He didn’t like the idea of that very much.

“Ah yes. I need your help. We need to get anything we can on the guy that broke into the compound today, and since Peter here saw him…” Tony stated, walking over towards Wanda.

The teen’s face flooded in realization, and Wanda seemed to realize too.

She looked at Peter but talked still to Tony, “So you want me to access his memory?”

Tony nodded, walking over towards Peter and whispered in his ear, “You’ll be fine. Just don’t give it too much thought.”

That didn’t comfort Peter at all. How was he supposed to not think about it? Just leave it? What was he supposed to think about? School? No, that’s too boring. Definitely not anything he didn’t want her to see. So no thinking about the past like Ben, or Homecoming or anything else like-

Red clouds circled around his head, making him freeze in place.

_“Hey! Hey- Slow down! Wait- Careful! Hey!”_

_“Mr. Stark, I think if I go any slower I’m gonna start going backwards.”_

_Peter felt Tony from behind him, hovering like a protective parent. No! That was way too weird. Tony was a mentor. And that’s it. He would never be anything more. Never a father for Peter. Plus, Mr. Stark probably didn’t feel the same way towards him._

Wanda looked between the two, a sad grimace on her face. Tony had no idea what she was seeing, but it hurt her heart.

_“Hey Pete.” Tony entered the room, sitting next to Peter’s own bed._

_Peter beamed with joy. He was glad Mr. Stark finally showed up. It was kind of lonely in the MedBay. He looked at Mr. Stark, “Oh, hey Mr. Stark! Doctor Banner said I was doing a lot better and I would be free to go!”_

_Bruce seemed to have different ideas, “No, that is not what I said at all.”_

She chuckled to herself, seeing the memory clear as day. Wanda quickly learned the type of relationship these two seemed to have. But she needed to find the guy, not look at family memories.

_“Spider-man! I didn’t know I would see you here.” Dart greeted Peter, his tone very unwelcoming._

_The teen got ready to fight again, “Surprise. I’m here. Now, you wanna take the time to explain what you’re doing?”_

_Poison Dart seemed to think for a moment, “No, not really.” He thought for a moment more, “Although I will say Stark needs to hide his things better. Honestly, if he doesn’t want people taking things, he should really be more secure.”_

_And with that, he vanished again, and the power was back on. Peter cursed under his breath._

Bingo. That’s what she needed. Peter’s thoughts supplied that the guy called himself “Poison Dart”

Wanda released the fog from around Peter’s head.

He stumbled forward a bit, relieved he was being released from his memories. He didn’t typically like thinking about unhappy ones, so he was glad Wanda didn’t see those.

Peter looked over towards Wanda, still catching his breath, then to Tony, who was observing him.

Tony looked towards Wanda, “Did you see him?”

She nodded, “Yeah. Calls himself Poison Dart. He should be relatively easy to catch once we get a whole team together.

“Thank you, Wanda. I really appreciate it.” Mr. Stark smiled, talking quietly with her while he escorted her out of the lab.

Peter pulled out a chair, sitting down quietly. He had a feeling he wasn’t done with the lecture.

Tony closed the lab doors once again. He walked towards Peter again, sitting in a chair in front of him.

“I don’t want to take the suit away, Pete, but I do think you need a break. Just a short one. I know you haven’t been sleeping well, and school is stressful. It’s only for the best, and with this guy on the loose, I really want to keep you safe. He seems to know how to get to you, so I don’t want to take that chance. So I won’t take the suit away, but you shouldn’t be using it for a bit.”

He didn’t say anything back to his mentor, just nodded.

Tony looked at the teen with a sort of sadness in his eyes, then took a deep inhale, “So we just have to catch him and we can get my tech back, then we’ll all be good.”

Peter couldn’t help the itching feeling inside of him that something bigger was coming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking so long to update again!
> 
> Some personal stuff went on, but I hope I can update more often!
> 
> I’m so glad a lot of people are enjoying this!
> 
> Please comment if you are enjoying this and any theories you have! I really enjoy reading them!
> 
> Love you 3000!


	11. The Devil’s Smile

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Glad you could finally join us, Tony.” Steve greeted, from where he was sitting next to Nat and Sam.
> 
> The billionaire smirked a bit, “Be lucky I came at all. I was being very productive at home.”
> 
> “What, watching movies with a teenager?” Natasha questioned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We love some fluff

“That movie sucked. I mean- c’mon! It was so cheesy!”

“Say what you want kid, that is one of the greatest movies to ever be made.”

“I’ll stick to Star Wars, thanks.” Peter mumbled, chucking a piece of popcorn at Tony.

Tony rolled his eyes playfully. He was glad that Peter was feeling better.

It had been a week since the whole dart phiasco, with still no luck of actually finding the guy. Things were less tense with Tony and Peter, after a whole conversation about feelings. Which was not an ideal situation for either of them, but when a certain CEO forces you to do something, you should probably listen to her.

Tony also talked to Natasha, separately, mostly because he didn’t need the whole team on his back, about the tech. Peter had mentioned earlier that the guy had some of his tech. And Tony figured that out another way. It turned out the guy had a lot more than just darts, because he was an old friend of Obidiah Stane.

Well, wasn’t this just working out perfectly for Tony.

He glanced down at his watch and groaned.

Peter looked over at him, “What?”

“I forgot, there was another meeting. Discussing Poison Dart dude. Fury hasn’t stopped bothering me about it and the public is getting more worried.”

Peter nodded, “Oh.”

Tony looked at him with a sad grimace, “On the bright side, I promise you’ll never have to see that dude again. We’re getting him locked up.”

Peter hummed in response and continued watching the movie playing, not giving an actual answer.

“Sorry, Pete. I’ll be back in about 4 hours. In the meantime, I got new parts in the lab. So if you want to play around with those, have fun.”

Peter’s eyes lit up at that, “Thanks Mr. Stark! Have fun!”

Tony grumbled as he watched the kid race down to the lab. “Yeah, sure. I’ll have a blast with Mr. Pirate.”

* * *

Peter opened the lab doors with ease, looking around. He saw a few boxes placed in the middle, which he assumed were the new parts.

It wouldn’t hurt to add a few upgrades to his suit, and plus, now would be a good time to restock on web fluid. Better than during chemistry class.

“Hey FRIDAY, play lab music.” He called up to the ceiling, no matter how many times Mr. Stark had told him FRIDAY was probably not in the ceiling.

Back in Black started playing through the speakers, and Peter smiled to himself remembering one of the first times he worked in the lab with Tony.

_“Hey FRI, let’s put some tunes on.” Tony called, walking over to his desk._

_Back in Black blasted through the speakers, startling Peter a little bit._

_“Oh, I love Led Zeppelin!” Peter shouted above the music._

_Tony whipped his head around to look at the teen, “Nope. I am not having someone who doesn’t know their music in this lab. FRIDAY, pause.”_

_The music stopped abruptly leaving a silent workshop other than a little laugh from Peter and he was trying to not give it away. He eventually couldn’t handle it anymore as he looked at Mr. Stark’s and burst out with laughter, “You- You should’ve seen your face Mr. Stark! That was priceless!”_

_“You’re a menace.”_

He chuckled a bit, rummaging through the parts. A lot of them would be good to make upgrades to his own suit. Maybe add some more tech. Now would also be a good time to refill his webshooters instead of in the back of his classroom.

“Hey Tony, I was wondering if- Oh.”

Peter whipped around as the music paused and he heard someone enter. “Geez, you almost gave me a heart attack.”

Bucky chuckled a bit, “Don’t you have some sort of freaky sixth-sense or something?”

Peter groaned, “Did Mr. Stark really tell everyone about that?”

“I’m afraid so, kid. He’s really proud of you, y’know? Talks about you all the time. Hard to get him to shut up.”

The teen grinned, “Really?”

“Yeah, I mean he just wants to protect you. That’s why he’s so harsh. Maybe not the best way to go about it, but it’s the way he does it.”

Peter nodded, that sounded about right. “So what did you need Mr. Bucky?”

“Oh no. You are not calling me ‘Mr. Bucky’.”

“Good luck with that. I’ve been calling Mr. Stark ‘Mr. Stark’ for a very long time.” Peter laughed, setting down his tools on the desk.

Bucky smirked a bit, “Well, I was going to ask for an upgrade on my arm. It keeps getting jammed and I don’t know what to do with it.”

“Oh! He was showing me the blueprints of your arm! Let me see if I can help!”

* * *

Tony walked into the room, glad that the long drive was over.

“Glad you could finally join us, Tony.” Steve greeted, from where he was sitting next to Nat and Sam.

The billionaire smirked a bit, “Be lucky I came at all. I was being very productive at home.”

“What, watching movies with a teenager?” Natasha questioned.

Tony’s eyes narrowed slightly, “Whatever. Why didn’t Eyepatch just schedule the meeting at the compound? It would’ve been so much easier than driving all the way out here.”

“That’s because he didn’t schedule it. I did.” A person walked into the room, wearing a black blazer and blue tie, with some fancy dress shoes.

Tony turned around with a look of confusion on his face. Everyone else seemed to be confused too.

“Right, let’s get straight to the point.” He announced, not sitting down with everyone else.

Steve didn’t look convinced, and Natasha looked skeptical.

The man rubbed his hands together, “So, Spider-Man got involved with a criminal that we all need to clean up, right?”

“Let’s not put all the blame on Spider-Man, everyone was involved.” Tony quickly got defensive.

The man smirked a bit, “As I presumed. Stark, the first one coming to defend him. As always.”

Natasha jumped in, “Spider-Man is a great teammate. Everyone in this room can see that, sir. And respectfully, we don’t even know your name.”

“My name is not important. And Tony, you’re right. Spider-Man isn’t the only one to blame. All of you are. You aren’t heroes. You’re all flawed.”

“So, sir, have you never made a mistake?” Sam inquired, getting more uncomfortable as the time went on.

“Tony, let’s start with you. You can’t just put on a suit and forget your past. We all know how you were. You were a murderer, Tony.”

Tony flinched and didn’t make eye contact with anyone. The team looked between the two.

“Don’t think we’ll just forgive and forget. And your father, well, wasn’t he a great influence. I see you’re trying to change that.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” The genius looked up at him, thoughts crowding his mind.

The guy looked at him, not faltering, “I’ve seen how you act around Spider-Man. So protective. I didn’t see you as the type. Maybe it is proof that deep down the stone cold Tony Stark does have a heart. But it’s so flawed. You’re so damn protective of him.”

“That’s enough.” Steve finally spoke up.

“No, I don’t think it is.”

The walls locked in suddenly, encasing and trapping everyone in the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh shit I’m out of fluff
> 
> YO I UPDATED WOWWW
> 
> Honestly, this is one of my favorite chapters. I had so many ideas. I’m so excited to write the next one, it’ll definitely interesting. 
> 
> Thanks for almost 200 kudos! That’s insane! I started this story because I wanted to write for a long time, and I just decided to. I’m so glad you are all enjoying this story.
> 
> Please leave comments about what you think!


	12. Down Came the Rain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Kid, where’s the safest place in the tower? Hypothetically.” Bucky questioned, quickly readjusting his arm.
> 
> Peter looked confused, “What kinda danger are we in? Like Thor ran out of pop tarts or alien invasion? Oh no, did Sam find out that I put hot sauce in his Gatorade?”
> 
> “No I think it’s- wait a minute, you pranked Sam?”
> 
> “Um...no..?” Peter answered hesitantly, silently taking a step backwards.

“What the hell is this?” Tony’s voice seemed uneasy and rushed.

The man’s face remained in a still grin, not moving. “It’s simple really. There were obstacles, and I removed them.”

No one seemed to understand.

“I needed someone. Someone who would know Tony’s tech. And, I couldn’t just get Tony, I mean we see how that worked out. He would never give up anything.”

Silence filled the air. An uncomfortable one, waiting for the guy to say something.

“My stuff, it’s great. It works. But it could be improved. It’s not nearly as advanced as yours, Tony. And you’d never give stuff to me or build anything. So I needed a new plan. And oh boy, I’ll have to admit, it’s a good one. There’s only one other person who would know the tech so extensively. If I could just get to him, I’d get to Tony too. Killed two birds with one stone.”

Tony’s face fell, but Steve was the first to speak, “Spider-Man? That’s your play?”

The man laughed. He had the audacity to laugh. Tony swore if they weren’t in this type of environment, he’d kill the guy.

“No, not Spider-Man. Just plain old Peter Parker.”

His words dripped with venom and hearing the words was unsettling. Tony couldn’t do this. Peter was left alone. He wouldn’t even see the guy coming, maybe if Tony could warn him-

The man looked directly at Tony, “And don’t you worry. There’s someone already going there now.”

Something in his gaze looked familiar as he stared at Tony. He thought back to his old days, when Obidiah was still working. It struck him.

“You worked for Obidiah.” It wasn’t a question, just a statement as Tony stared at the man.

His smile held no emotion, “There you go, Tony. You’re catching on.”

“William.” The billionaire stated simply, not daring to look the rest of the team in the eye.

“I worked for Obidiah- or I suppose you- for years. Suddenly you get kidnapped. Obidiah put on an act. Claimed to care. But when you got back, he became obsessed. Obsessed with technology. And I stuck by his side. Working so closely with Obidiah was a real treat. Got to see all the prototypes that you would never approve of. And, got to use some for myself.”

Tony took a moment to think, “So you’re the Poison Dart guy?”

William laughed. “Poison Dart? You really think I would make a name like that? No, that’s not me. In fact, it’s no one.”

Confusion spread on the faces of the team.

“It’s all an illusion, don’t you get it? It was a distraction. In fact, that’s all I’m here to do.”

Natasha jumped at the guy, delivering a quick punch to his face, catching him off guard. Sam got up as well, going to help Natasha.

Tony was about to get up as well, before Steve grabbed his arm and pulled him into the corner.

“The hell are you doing, Rogers? I’m going to help.” Tony hissed at him.

Steve looked at him, “And you will, right now I’m telling you Bucky’s there. I’m warning him now someone’s coming. If he can get in contact with your security guard, they’ll keep the guy out.”

“Thank you.”

Steve nodded and jumped up, ready to attack the guy again.

Tony activated the gauntlet, firing a shot at the guy. William would stand no chance against the team, but it didn’t matter then.

William finally laid unconscious on the floor, the rest of the team standing around him.

“So, what do we do now?” Sam questioned, looking between Tony and Steve.

Steve glanced at Tony, who didn’t look like he wanted to talk, “We have to get back to the tower. If William was just a distraction, then we have no clue what waits there. Bucky’s been warned, hopefully he can get Peter to a safe place.”

Rhodey looked unimpressed, “Yeah, great plan, Cap. You forgot the part where we’re all locked in a room which none of us have access to.”

Steve thought for a moment, “Shit.”

* * *

“Okay Mr. Bucky, I think it’s done.”

Bucky sighed, “Kid, if you call me ‘Mr. Bucky’ one more time I’m going to-”

His phone buzzed in his pocket. Bucky pulled it out, not thinking much of it.

Peter watched as the man’s face dropped.

“Kid, where’s the safest place in the tower? Hypothetically.” Bucky questioned, quickly readjusting his arm.

Peter looked confused, “What kinda danger are we in? Like Thor ran out of pop tarts or alien invasion? Oh no, did Sam find out that I put hot sauce in his Gatorade?”

“No I think it’s- wait a minute, you pranked Sam?”

“Um...no..?” Peter answered hesitantly, silently taking a step backwards.

Bucky chuckled a bit, “Right, I’ll ask you about that later. Right now, I need to know.”

The kid thought for a moment, “Well, I guess it would be in the lab. FRIDAY has the most access in here, so she could do anything. Like for example, the ‘Barn Door Protocol’ locks everything-”

“FRIDAY, activate Barn Door protocol.” Bucky quickly said, looking around the room.

He stared at Bucky, “Um… Mr. Barnes?”

Bucky chose not to answer him, instead muttering words under his breath and fiddling with his arm again.

A sudden familiar prick at the back of Peter’s neck alerted him of danger.

He instantly became more alert, looking around the room. It didn’t make sense. The only other person in the room was Bucky.

He listened closely, beyond the walls of the lab, and he heard it.

“Bucky!” He alerted the older man.

Bucky’s head whipped around, “What?”

Peter stared at him, “We’re in danger.”

* * *

“Tony, stop. Pacing around isn’t going to help anything.”

The billionaire glared at Natasha.

“We’re gonna figure this out, alright?” Natasha tried to comfort him.

Rhodey looked at his best friend, concerned.

Steve joined in, “Plus, Bucky’s there. He has the message.”

“You know, I’d love for that to be comforting. But William said that he was only a distraction. Clearly whoever- or whatever- is there, will be a lot more dangerous than he was.” Tony’s voice was short and panicked, slowly stopping his pacing.

Cap stared at him, “Who would want to find Peter that badly?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are starting to come together...
> 
> Are you guys catching on?
> 
> Also, sorry for not posting a lot, some stuff came up and I had a bit of writers block.
> 
> Hopefully we can get better updates! 
> 
> Love you 3000!
> 
> See you soon!


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